Rail-splicing structure



Aug. 10,1926. 1,595,262

v W. P. THOMSON RAIL SPLICING- STRUCTURE Filed June 26; 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 10,1926. 1,595,262 W, P. THOMSON RAIL SPLICINGV STRUCTURE Filed June 26" 1924- Shegts-Sheet 2 I 7 L 7 V .--''-r- I l I :1 3 i 5.122% In"... z Z

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Patented Aug. 10, 1926..

UNITED STIATESPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM PATON THOMSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO THE RAIL JOINT COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. GORIORATIOIN' OF NEW YORK.

RAIL-SPLIOING STRUCTURE.

Application filed June 26, 1924. Serial No. 722,558.

This invention relates to a new type of rail joint, combining certain features of the head-free type rail joint of my Reissue Letters Patent No. 15,773 granted February 19,

' 51924 with Supplementary features of con struction producing a self-contained and highly resilient, yet powerful splicing struc r ture.

, The head-free type joint of my reissue patent possesses the structural characteristic l of having head clearance from the underside of the rail head and a loading engagement at the head fillet of the rail, utilizing in an advantageous inanner the wedge formation at the head fillet of the present standard rail Whereb the head'of the bar will have an upwar ly and outwardly sliding bolt-tightening engagement with the rail head fillet. This head-free typerail joint bar may have either direct-or indirect solid engagement with the rail head fillet to bring the head of the bar into solid resistance to load deflections. These distinguishing and characterizing' features of my patented structure re ferred to possess numerous practical adva-n tages, and as far as possible, under certain conditions, the present invention conserves many of these advantages in a structure wherein the end potrions of the splice bars will be caused to function in a different manner from their mid-sections, thus obtaining improved stability, absence of abrasive 1 movement within the structure and protection of the rails from battering.

.35 Accordingly, a primary object of the 'invention is to provide a splicing structure or rail joint having means whereby the medial portions of the splice bars will function in a manner substantially similar to the charac 4 teristicfunctioning of the splicing structure conforming to the reissue patent aforesaid. Furthermore, to provide means whereby the end portions of the splice bars will coact with the ortion of the rail which is above the bonn ary line between the surface of the rail web and the rail head fillet more directly or extensively than will the medial portion of the bar. .Hence, the splice bar ends will coact with th'e'upper portion of the rail web or the rail head fillet, or both, less directly or extensively than does the medial portion of the bar, even to theextent of not engaging these portions of the rail at all. These variant functions of the medial portrons and of the end portions of the splice bars, in the present invention, will so supplement each other as to enhance the rail alignment grip of the medial portions of the bars because the end portions of the bars may be so disposed with reference to the underside :of the rail heads as to provide practically any desired degree of resistance to displace ment by vertically imposed load forces, even to the same degree as is characteristic of angle bars as generally used at the present time.

Thus, it is proposed by the present invenview which will be apparent to those familiar with this art as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination of features of construction hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed; and while susceptible of a wide range of structural modification without departing from the spirit or scope thereof certain practical forms of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail splicing structure embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end View taken on the line 22 of Fig. l, the full lines in the View showing the splice bar having head and foot bearings and the dotted lines showing the position of the bar at the center of the joint.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the joint on the line 33 of-Fig. 1, showing respectively by full and dotted lines positions of the splice bar at the center and at the ends of the joint.

Figure t is a detail elevation of one form of bearing member or plate that may be used to provide an indirect but solid bearing engagement between the splice bar and the rail web.

Figure 5 is a top edge view of the form of bearing membe shown in Fig. 4:.

Figure 6 is a reduced view similar to Fig.

line of the bolt holes.

1 showing how the invention may be carried out With a shortened bearing member; in this view part of the splice bar only being shown.

Figure 7 is a View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the use of a modified construction of bearing plate to provide head fishing bearings for the ends of the bar and clearance of the medialportion of the bar from head fishing.

Figure 8 is a cross-section view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 7.

Figure v10 is a detail top plan view of the modified form of bearing plate shown in Figs. 7, '8 and 9.

it will now be seen that a principal feature of the present invention is to provide in a rail splicing structure orrail joint a splice bar having localized throughout the midsection of its length a clearance from the underside of the raiLhead, while also having a solid bearing contact, either directly or indirectly, with the rails above the center That feature is combined with another principal feature, namely, that of the rail joint having localized at its end portions a splice barhaving rail web clearance and a fishing engagement with the rail head and with the rail base flange. The said mid-section of the bar also has an engagement with the rail base flange.

These principal features of construction, in combinatirm, provide means for holding the contiguous rail ends in true alignment and surface, and maintain the bolts effectively tightened. Specifically, it further will be noted that the phase of the invention relating to resistance to vertically unposed loads is realized by so disposing the end portions of the splice bars that they will have an operative bearing engagement with the fishing surfaces at the under-sides of the heads of the rails, or upon the head fillets in conjunction with these fishing surfaces of a greater degree than is provided by the mid-sections of the splice bars. The effe t of this structure, under such conditions, is that the mid-sections of the splice bars will sustain the ends ofthe abutting or contiguous rails, both vertically and transversely,'substantially in the manner provided for by the head-free type joint of my reissue patent aforesaid, and the end portions of the splicebars' can be made to supplement 'the mid-sections with-whatever additional resistance to vertically imposed load forces as may be necessary to meet the requirements of various types of rail, road-bed or bolting capacity. This delegation. to the portions of the splice bar to which they are best adapted, of different functions to supplement each other in the manner described will produce such an advantageous resultant of resistance to load strains as will stabilize the splice bars against displacement and wear more effectively, und r certain conditions than if any one of the differing functions were present throughout the whole length of each splice bar. As will be seen from the drawings, the end portions of each splice bar may be either flexed or shimmed into fishing engagemei'it with the heads of the rails to be given such resistance to vertically imposed load forces-as to be adequate to decrease materially the extent to which the mid-sections would otherwise have to be provided with means for resisting displacement under verti'ally imposed loads. And, the natural reactions of the mid-sections'of the splice bars, when the preferable. method of flexing the bars is resorted to, will be toward the webs of the rails and will thus supplement the function of the middle bolts to maintain the ends of the abutting rails firmly in true alignmentv The invention is well exemplified by the group of Figures 1 to (3 inclusive of the drawings. Zcl'erring thereto it will be seen that the splice bar employed may be and preferably is of uniform section throughout, so that the ordinary rolling mill product may be. utilized in carrying forward the invention. This splice bar designated in the drawings by the reference letter S includes the usual head 1 and foot 2, the foot 2 of each splice bar being adapted to have a fishing engagement throughout as at 3 with the upper side of the base flange of the rail R. It is proposed by the present invention that the splice bar S shall have localized throughout the mid-section of its length, a clearance from the underside of the rail head as indicated by the numeral st in Fig. 3 of the drawin s and as indicated by the dotted lines in Pig. 2 of the drawings. In connection with this clearance i of the mid-section of the s )lice bar from the underside of the rail head 5 the inner projection (3 of the splice bar head is adapted to have a bearing contact or engagement with the rails above the center lines of the bolt holes. This bearing contact for the inner head projection 6 of the mid-section of each splice bar may be direct or indirect, and preferably is localized at the head fillet of the rail so as to bring the head of the bar into solid resistance to load deflections, according to the principle involved in the invention of my reissue patent aforesaid. Preferably, the bearing contact or engagei'nent for the inner head projection of the splice bar with the rail, at the medial portion of the head of the splice bar is providedfor by utilizing a bearing member or plate 7 interposed between the splice bar and the rail. This bearing member or plate is preferably a mild steel plate which is thick enough to hold 'wardly, resulting in a bolt tightening action and at the same time bringing the inner head projection of the spllce bar into solid engagement, through the' bearing member 7, with the rail head fillet whereby the head of the bar is properly positioned to effectually resist load deflections. The wedge or tapered formation of the rail at the point where the upper part of the rail web merges into the rail head fillet compels the outward movement or deflection of the splice bar head when forced upwardly by the bolt tightening action; and, in cases where the old type straight web rails may be encountered, the bearing members or plates 7 are shaped to give the taper corresponding to the wedge formation referred to as found in present standard rails. This is a feature of the invention of my reissue patent aforesaid.

The bearing member of plate 7 may be of a depth, and preferably is, so that it may be formed at its lower edges with keeper or holding notches 8 adapted to engage over thebolts and thus prevent longitudinal disvat 9.

of the splice bars, when the bolts are tightplacement of said member or plate, and, in the form of the invention now being described the said bearing member or plate 7 is of a shorter length than the splice bar and tapers inthickness toward its ends as This construction permits the ends ened, to be forced or flexed toward the rails 'until they take a fishing engagement with the undersides of the rail heads, and at the same time will be clear .of the rail webs. It is obvious that this flexing of the ends of the splice bar which is permitted by the relatively shorter length of the bearing memher 7 and the end taper of said member will supplement and enhance the clamping power exerted by the middle bolts 11 DOD the upper portions of the rail webs. 0t only will that desirable result be accomplished but the flexing of thesplice bar ends also will react upon the nuts in such a manner as to decrease their liability to work loose, even to the extent of eliminating any necessity for the use of nut locks.

It is to be understood that a splice bar could be so formed as to embody integrally the characteristic features referred to, but that would be a diflicult and expensive rolling proposition and it is preferable to carry forward the invention by using a splice bar of uniform section throughout and combining therewith a separate bearing member or plate 7 which may even be as short as shown in the modification of Fig. 6 of the drawings. Also the various clearances and bearing engagements described may be provided for. by usina'special 'form of hearing member or p ate, as for instance. the one illustrated in Figs. 7 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings.

In the modification shown in the group of Figures 7 to IO-inclusive of the drawings the bearing member or plate therein is designated generally by the reference number 10 and in addition to havin the keeper or holding notches 8 previously referred to, is" provided with a medial cut-away top portion 11 which provides a definite clearance between the medial portion of the head of the, splice bar and the underside of the rail head while leaving the apron or skirt of the bearing member in position to provide the solid bearing engagement for the medial portion of the head of thesplice bar with the rail in the region of the rail head fillet. Furthermore, this special form of bearing unember or plate 10 is shown coextensive in length with the splice bar and is formed with top fishing members 12 having solid cngagemcntwith the underside of the rail head and with the upper side of the end portions of the head of the splice bar as plainly shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. Also, the end portions of the skirt of the said special bearing member or plate 10 are shown cut-away as at 13 so as to leave clearance between the end portions of the head of the splice bar and the rail web thereby providing for the same combination of'functions for the mid and end sections .of the splice bars, as heretofore explained.

From the foregoing it will now have been observed that an essential of the invention is that the medial portion of the head of the splice bar is never in operative contact with the outer portions of the undersides of the rail heads, which is a characteristic of the invention of my reissue patent aforesaid. And, it should be understood that wherever reference herein is made to the medial porportion of the splice bar as engaging or be-.

ing in contact with any portion of the rail above the center lines of the bolt holes in the rail, such reference is intended to convey the meaning that either with or without a bearing member or element interposed between the rail and the splice bar head, a solid medium is provided for transmission Furthermore, when refer- .of the. clamping; capacity of the bolts, di-tions of said splice bar may be so flexed rectly at or immediately adjacent to the juncture of the. rail head with i s web. However, a chit-t object of the utilization of a separate bearing member, it will be noted, is to render the improvement broad- 1y applicable to old splice bars either in service or in design. as well as to splice bars special}; designed for adaptation for use with the ljiearing member. And, it should also i.- nolcd that since the bearing member is'ronstantly under compression, it may, advanta eouslv, be of a metalhaving higher elc trical conductivity than the splice bar and utilized in an, additional capacity as an electrical bonding element.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, functioning and many advantages of the herein described improvements will be apparent without i'urtlicr. description and it will also be understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resortcd to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advautagesot the present invention.

I claim l l. A rail joint including the rails, clamp ing bolts, a splice bar, and nueans for causing the n'iidsection oi the splice baiuto grip the ends of the rails above the bolt holes and to clear the underside of the rail head, and the end portions of the splice bar to grip the rail head and the rail base flange.

2. A rail joint structure for rails including the splice bar, and a-bearing member consisting of a metal plate or shim tapered toward both ends and interposed between the midsection of the splice bar and the rails.

A rail joint structure including the mil and a splice bar which has, at its medial portion, a rail base fishing bearing and a head which has asolid engagement with the rails above the bolt holesin the rails, said engagement being with'the rail between the center line of the bolt'holes in the rail and the inner boundary of the rail head .tishing surface, and said splice bar having, atits end portions, rail clearance from the region of the bolt holes to and including the rail head fillet, and means whereby the end portions of the splice'bar may be so flexed that they will have rail engagement above the boundary between the surface of the rail web, and the rail head fillet.

4. A rail joint including the rails, and a splice bar having; at its medial portion, a

that they will have rail engagement above the boundarybetween the surface of the rail web and the rail head fillet.

5. A rail joint structure including the rails, a bearing member contacting with a rail, and a splice bar contacting with said hearing member, said end :iortions of said splice bar, to grip the rail head and also coacting, at the medial portion of said splice bar, to grip the rail base fishing bearings and the rail above the bolt holes inside of the inner boundary of the rail head fishing surface. 1

(3. A rail joint structure including the rails, a bearing member contacting with a rail, and :1 splice bar contacting with said bearing member, said structure coacting, at the medial portion of said splice bar, to engage the rail base fishing bearings and the rails above the bolt holes but no more of a rail head than the under side of the inner portion of one of its overhanging sides, and said structure having, at its end portions, no initial engagement with the rails above the bolt holes but having means whereby its end portions may be flexed so that they will have engagement with the rails above the bolt holes.

7. A rail joint including the rails, and :1 splice bar having, at its end portions, rail base fishing engagement but no initial engagement with the rails above the bolt holes, and having, at its medial portion, rail base fishing engagement and engagement with the rails above the bolt holes butwith no more of a rail head than the under side of the inner portion of one of its overhanging sides, and means for flexing said end portions whereby they will have engagement with the rails above the bolt holes.

8. A rail joint structure including the rails, a bearing membercontacting with a structure coactin at the rail, and a splice bar contacting with said bearing member, said structure coacting, at the end portions of said splice bar, initially to engage rall base fishing bearings but no surface of a rail above the bolt holes, and also coacting, at the medialportion of said splice bar, to engage the rail bases and the rails above the bolt holes'but no more of a rail head than the under side of the inner portion of one of its overhanging sides.

9. A rail joint structure including the "rails, a bearing member engaging a rail, and "a splice bar engaging said bearing member,

said structure coacting, at the end portions of said splice bar, to engage the rail base but to initially engage no surface of a rail above the bolt holes, said structure having means whereby saidsplice bar may be flexed so that its end portions will engage the rails above the bolt holes, and said structure also coacting, at the medial portion of said splice bar, to engage the rail bases and the rails above the bolt holes but no more of a rail head than the under side of the inner portion of one of its overhanging sides. V

10. A rail joint structure including the rails, a splice bar, and a bearing member of greater electrical conductivity than said splice bar engaging the rails andt-he medial portionoi' said splice bar, said structure coasting, at the medial portion of said splice bar, to engage the rail bases and the rails above thebolt holes and having rail head clearance, said splice bar also operating, at its end portions, initially to engage no surface of a rail above the bolt holes.

ll. A rail joint structure including the rails, a bearing member engaging the rails, and a splice bar engaging, at its medial portion, said bearing member, said structure enacting, at themedial portion of said splice bar, to engage the rail bases and the rails above the bolt holes, said splice bar also operating, at its end portions,to engage initially no surface of a rail. above the bolt holes, and means whereby saidsplice bar may be fieXed so-that its end portions will engage the rails at a higher point above the bolt holes than the rail'engagernent of said medial portion.

12. A rail jointistructure including the rails, a splice bar, and a bearing member of greater electrical conductivity than said splice bar engaging the rails and said splice bar, said structure coacting to engage therail bases and thiv rails above the bolt holes but no Inore'of a rail head than the under side of the inner portion of one of its overhanging sides;

13. A rail joint including the rails, clamp length than the splice bar, said splice bar having at its Il'llCl-rSBCtlOD rail head clearance and having its ends flexed over the ends of the bearing member into rail head fishing engagement. i

14. A rail joint including the rail, clamping bolts, a bearing member and a splice barhaving throughout its mid-section head clearance from the under side of the rail head and a loading engagement through said bearing member atthe head fillet of the .rail.

15. A rail joint including the rail, cla1nping bolts, a bearing member, and a splice bar having throughout its mid-section clearance from the inside of the rail head and aninner head projection which has an upwardly and outwardly sliding bolt tightening engagement through said bearing member with the rail head fillet.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atfix my signature;

WILLIAM PATON noMso- 

